Girl Meets Boy Wonder: A Prequel

At lunch, Harold, Max, and I quickly scooted over to the table we usually sat at last semester. This might seem dumb (in fact, I know it will), but we were paranoid that if we didn’t immediately scuttle over there someone else would take our table and we’d be left… er… table-less.

But, you know, if some huge-ass senior is sitting at our table, picking his teeth and sprawling out by himself, I can pretty much guarantee that we’re slinking away without a word with our tails in between our legs. Well… maybe Harold would say something… but he’s a little savvier than to mouth off to a freaking senior.

Anyway, we got to our table (without any problem) and settled in, looking around as everyone buzzed loudly about the winter vacations. We sit kind of to the side of the cafeteria, the furthest away from the doors and far away from the windows. Oh, the windows. I’ve quickly discovered that your proximity to the windows reflects your popularity/cool status. The windows are the primo spot- that’s when you know you’ve hit the big time. That’s where the popular seniors sit. They’ve even pushed the tables together so that the whole lot of them can sit together.

The popular freshmen (Trevor and his friends) are already looking at that table hopefully. I have no doubt in my mind that one day, they’ll be sitting at that big makeshift table too. And, like I said, me, Harold and Max sit pretty damn far away from the windows. Not as far as possible, but still pretty freaking far… Oh well.

I looked around the cafeteria again, this time with the intention of looking for April. I spotted her sitting with some freshmen girls. Not quite with the popular kids, but not on the outskirts of Loserville like me. She was smiling and listening to the girls talk. I have a feeling she’s a good listener.

“… she’s funny as fuck. We joked around the entire class, pissing off the teacher,” Max said gleefully, bringing my attention back to the table.

“Who is?” I interrupted him. Max looked at me.

“This girl, Clarissa… she’s over…” He craned his neck, looking for her. “There! She’s there,” He said pointing quickly over in a general direction. I looked over there, but couldn’t have any way to know which girl he meant.

“Anyway. Yeah we just spent the whole time fucking around. It was great,” He giggled, eying both me and Harold. Aw crap, competitive moment. Harold didn’t notice, and went about his business eating his sushi lunch. I adjusted my shoulders, feeling the competition build up in me. My story couldn’t compete with Max’s (though he might be lying), but, meh, what the hell…

“Hey do you have an extra pencil I could borrow?” I asked Harold, not very casually at all. Harold dug around in his pocket and pulled out a pencil and handed it to me without question. Damn.

“Thanks,” I said, saluting him with the pencil. There was an awkward silence. Max and Harold ate their lunch… I think I might have been the only one feeling awkward.

“I, uh, lent mine out,” I went on. They both looked at me.

“To a girl. In pre-Algebra. This morning. April. Was, uh, her name,” I said. Yep that pretty much came out of my mouth the way it looks right there. Harold finally took the bait.

“You gave a girl the only pencil you had?” He asked. Oh, gently mocking me. Ah well.

“Um, yeah,” I said honestly. Max frowned condescendingly at me. I shot him a look and looked at Harold again, begging him to ask me another question about April.

“Did she talk to you?” He indulged me, poking at a roll of sushi.

“Um yep. I got put on the spot for a question and she gave me the answer,” I said. Harold smiled at me.

“Nice,” He grinned.

“Did you talk to her?” Max caught. I glanced at him then at my lunch.

“Not… with words,” I said honestly. Harold giggled at me.

“With what? American Sign Language?” Max went on. I glared at him.

“Stop being a prick,” Harold chuckled at Max. Max glanced at Harold and then gave me a grin. I rolled my eyes.

“I smiled at her. And she smiled at me,” I said. Wow, I sound freaking lame as fuck. Am I really that lame??

”Wow,” Max mocked me, giggling. I rolled my eyes again and otherwise ignored him.

“That sounds like a pretty good start to me,” Harold said honestly. I grinned at him. Yeah, I think Max has definitely been beaten out of the best friend position.

“Plus, I don’t believe a word you said about your encounter with Clarissa,” Harold grinned at Max. Max made a ghoulish face at Harold.

“What does this April look like?” Max grumbled at me. I smiled and glanced over at her out of the corner of my eyes.

“She’s sitting over there. She’s the little blonde one,” I said.

“Like you?” Max said, looking over in the direction I was looking in and frowning.

“Shut up,” I snapped at him. I’m not that short, the joke doesn’t work. I’m… I’m average height and waiting for a growth spurt. That’s what my mother says, anyway. Harold looked over at April too.

“Oh. Her,” Max said and raised his eyebrows. “She’s…” He trailed off. I looked over at April again. She’s pretty.

“Pretty,” Harold supplied for Max, reading my mind. I grinned at him. He must have some sort of secret cheat codes for my brain. That’s pretty sweet.

And, at this point in our friendship, not annoying in the least.